The passing of time is a funny thing. We know logically that it marches along at a steady pace, yet some days, weeks, months seem to drag on forever, while others just fly by. Think back to high school, studying for final exams and just wishing for summer. School years seemed to last eons. Other time periods pass at a sprinting pace. Christmas break, for example. Where the heck did that go?
A new year is a great time for reflection. Consider, what parts of this past year seemed to move slowly, and what parts flew by? This is a great question to ask parents or grandparents, too. The couple in the photo above may remember a good party from 1929 like it was yesterday! Start with this past year and then ask about previous decades and see how time varies. For example, memories of childhood vs. child rearing seem to happen in two different dimensions. After interviewing plenty of people in their 70s and 80s, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that old adage about time raising small children: The days are long, but the years are short. How can this be? Ask a current parent of an infant or toddler and it can feel like being trapped on an island on Survivor. Ask a now grandparent about those days and it's often retold with such nostalgia. If we're lucky, the passage of time softens the edges of harsh memories and can accentuate the good times.
Another thing I hear a lot in interviews... after long enough, life starts to feel like it's all going far too quickly. So in that spirit, let's be grateful for the gift of more time. Time to work, time to be with people we love, and time to make new memories. Happy new year to you and your families. May it bring happiness, prosperity, and plenty of new stories.
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